Foreign Birth Registration

[Revin Kevin]

Received my confirmation today
Another variation of the theme in that it says the certificate has been printed and dispatched!

"Congratulations, your application for Irish citizenship through entry on the Foreign Births Register has been successful.

A certificate has now been printed and posted to the address provided by you. Please note that your application will be sent via Registered post and someone will need to be available to sign for the envelope.

If you live in Ireland, Northern Ireland, Great Britain, Europe, USA, Canada, Australia, or New Zealand, Passport Online is the fastest and cheapest way for you to get your first Irish passport. See https://www.dfa.ie/passportonline/ for more information."

[GoingBackBackToEire]

Applied online: 27th May 2019
Documents received: 4th June 2019
Still waiting after about 16 months (24th September 2020)
My grandparent, who I'm claiming nationality through, didn't have their birth registered (1880's) - so it will be more complex.
Had a web chat today and was told it was with a checking officer, with no indication of how much longer it would be - they will contact me if needed.

I can't help but wonder what's going on with some of these. Are workers from Balbriggan traveling all over Ireland to search town and parish records for evidence of merseygrit's grandparent's birth records?

Like a scene from Waking Ned Devine, when the man from the lottery office arrives at that small town in a helicopter.

[mwalsh5757]

Online Application: April 4, 2020
Docs Received: July 3, 2020
Address Confirmation: October 10, 2022
Certificate Received (in the USA, despite the UK flag on my profile): October 19, 2022

[kerrilarkin]

hi i am new here

i started my irish citizenship on 26/04/2020

my processing started than , due to cv19 and backlogs

i had to resend certifying of my identity from my notary and oath

the guy who at FBR got them and started processing my application on the 18/10/2022

and than i had to confirm my address via email on same date

now i am waiting to on my you been entered into FBR and congratulation's email and my FBR certifcate and documents to be sent back so i can apply for my irish passport

i keep you updated

[GoingBackBackToEire]

Online Application: 21 Aug 2020
Docs Received: 01 Sep 2020
Address Check: 20 Oct 2022
Congrats email:
Cert Received:

They're now into applications received in September 2020!

This is very exciting. I audibly gasped when I opened my email this morning and saw the address check waiting for me.

[MrsC70]

Online Application: 21 Aug 2020
Docs Received: 01 Sep 2020
Address Check: 20 Oct 2022
Congrats email:
Cert Received:

They're now into applications received in September 2020!

This is very exciting. I audibly gasped when I opened my email this morning and saw the address check waiting for me.

This is amazing!!!! Congratulations.

[JT97]

Online Application: 21 Aug 2020
Docs Received: 01 Sep 2020
Address Check: 20 Oct 2022
Congrats email:
Cert Received:

They're now into applications received in September 2020!

This is very exciting. I audibly gasped when I opened my email this morning and saw the address check waiting for me.

That’s excellent news. I’m only 15 days behind you so hopefully I’ll be hearing back in the not too distant future as well!!

[xRGHx]

September wow, look at them go!

[spencer0523]

Have you heard back yet.. now i am a little freaked, haha. I got a response to my inquiry asking if this was legit, lol, and they said yes it is all legit (grammar mistakes and all).

I received the same one! Maybe its just the person doing it having a different style?

The full wording:

Dear Joanna

I am currently reviewing your application for entry into the Foreign Births Register,

To ensure these documents are dispatched to the correct address you should confirm your address by return email. If you have moved address since you completed your application you should provide a scanned copy of proof of that new address, e.g. original utility bills, bank statements, government correspondence.

You will receive a confirmation email when if your application is successful, but should further documentation be required to support your application I will be contact with you.

Receiving this email is in no indication of a successful outcome of you application, but by confirming your address you are enabling us to process your application more efficiently.

Please note that your documents will be sent via Registered post and someone will need to be available to sign for the envelope.


I look forward to hearing from you

Best Regards

And this is why I love this forum! Now we know there are (at least) two different kinds of address confirmation. It will be interesting to see if the gap between confirmation and acceptance is longer for us, since our person checks addresses at the beginning of the process rather than at the end. This feels like a Divination class at Hogwarts!

[Dani12345]

Documents Received: 23/09/2020
Confirmation of Address: 20/10/2022

[MikeyMike]

Another September 2020 application progressing. I'm very glad that things are moving apace, especially for those who are waiting for work and family reasons.

Applied online: 28th Aug 2020
Docs received email: 3rd Sept 2020
Address confirmation email: 21st Oct 2022

My confirmation email was from a named individual with no indication of success or otherwise:

"Can I ask you to confirm your postal address by return email as this application has been in the system for some time and this information may need updating. Also, this will be the address where we will return all your original documents."

[JT97]

Documents Received: 23/09/2020
Confirmation of Address: 20/10/2022

Looks like the team processing your application is working quicker than the team processing mine. Fingers crossed I hear back soon. Maybe in the next week or so

[Pmc87]

Hi all!

Long time lurker, first time posting. Thought I would add my details on

Online Application: 29 Jul 2021
Docs Received: 20 May 2022

Kicking myself a bit as I didn’t send the docs in because of the statement on the website asking not to.. but seems they are going through pretty fast now!

Good luck all!

[sloanb]

Hello

First time poster, but to say I've been obsessed with this forum and the spreadsheet since applying is an understatement. I'm checking several times a day and my (Irish) wife thinks I'm nuts.

Online Application: 15 Jan 2022
Docs Received: 27 Jan 2022

The progress being reported here is really encouraging. I'd resigned myself to becoming Irish in 2024, but I'm getting excited that it could happen sometime towards the middle of 2023. Nothing scientific about that estimate, and there's a hint of optimism on my part. It's based on the increased speed of processing reported recently. From Revin Kevin to Dani12345, on date of documentation receipt, there are 29 applications reported on the spreadsheet, of which 20 have reached the address check. That's been done in three weeks (22 days, 30th Sept to 21st Oct). From October 2020 to January 2022 the spreadsheet only records 50 sets of documents submitted. It is a stretch to think that the spreadsheet is a true reflection of the volume of applications actually being submitted, but hopefully it's an indicator?

Unfortunately, whilst the Minister for Foreign Affairs has been providing written responses in the last few weeks, there's no figure I've seen for the current backlog. But he has said that from document receipt processing times are now back to approximately 2 years, still slightly longer on our spreadsheet. And "My Department is currently putting in place a number of measures that will address the volume of FBR applications currently on hand with a view to significantly reducing the processing time for these citizenship applications by the end of this year". See for example:

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/qu ... 74/#pq_374

So fingers crossed that the current processing speed continues for us all. And please keep posting here. It's the only thing keeping me sane .

[jot75]

Been checking this forum for a while.

Here is my timeline:-

Online Application: 7 March 2020
Docs Received: 1 July 2020 as per mail tracking info (didn't send until late June 2020)
Address Check: 12 Oct 2022
Congrats email: 12 Oct 2022
Cert Received: 22 Oct 2022

Cert delivered this morning to my neighbour at '6 Norwood Rd' rather than me at '6 Norwood Court, Norwood Rd'. Not for the first or last time with the posties in our area! So my neighbour signed for it not realising at first that it was for me.

[GoingBackBackToEire]

Hello

First time poster, but to say I've been obsessed with this forum and the spreadsheet since applying is an understatement. I'm checking several times a day and my (Irish) wife thinks I'm nuts.

I also really enjoy analyzing that spreadsheet for the wisdom it can provide.
Before Brexit and the pandemic, under two years for FBR was common. If you had all your ducks in a row, maybe as quick as 12 months.
It sure looks like they have turned a corner on the pandemic backlog and will be back to <2 years by the end of this year. I don't know how they did that. Increased staffing? Improved efficiency? Streamlined process? All of the above?
I've also heard that the number of requests coming in is remaining high. Maybe not as high as the Brexit bump.

It is a stretch to think that the spreadsheet is a true reflection of the volume of applications actually being submitted, but hopefully it's an indicator?

I think it's a reasonable approximation. There are a lot of spreadsheet entries for Jan and Feb 2020, and it took them a long time to get through them. There are relatively few spreadsheet entries for April-August 2020, and they flew through that time period.

I was reviewing the spreadsheet to get an idea of the current time between "address check" and "congrats email" or "cert received". Looks like lately it's running 1-2 weeks for the "congrats email", and another week for the cert to arrive.

[LurkerAug2020]

Hi all, long time lurker. I finally received my address check after 26 months! I never received an email saying explicitly that my documents were received, only that my application was received.

Online Application: 15 August 2020
Application (docs?) Received: 25 August 2020
Address Check: 19 Oct 2022
Congrats email:
Cert Received:

It seems like they're picking up the pace now - hoping I get to apply for a passport before the end of the year.

[Dalton_Trumbo]

Hi all, long time lurker. I finally received my address check after 26 months! I never received an email saying explicitly that my documents were received, only that my application was received.

Online Application: 15 August 2020
Application (docs?) Received: 25 August 2020
Address Check: 19 Oct 2022
Congrats email:
Cert Received:

It seems like they're picking up the pace now - hoping I get to apply for a passport before the end of the year.

Congrats! My application from Feb 2020 took just under 28 months, so definitely seems things are speeding up. Hopefully for future applicants they can get it back down closer to a year. When I first started working on my application in September of 2019 the estimated time was 9 - 12 months/

[Artwerk]

Hi all, long time lurker. I finally received my address check after 26 months! I never received an email saying explicitly that my documents were received, only that my application was received.

Online Application: 15 August 2020
Application (docs?) Received: 25 August 2020
Address Check: 19 Oct 2022
Congrats email:
Cert Received:

It seems like they're picking up the pace now - hoping I get to apply for a passport before the end of the year.

This is what I was assuming as well - is this correct?

[Artwerk]

Hi all!

Long time lurker, first time posting. Thought I would add my details on

Online Application: 29 Jul 2021
Docs Received: 20 May 2022

Kicking myself a bit as I didn’t send the docs in because of the statement on the website asking not to.. but seems they are going through pretty fast now!

Good luck all!

I'm the same, but thought better to be safe.

I wonder if they are processing them by application date or docs received date? Let's hope the application date

[Bun_123]

Update on a July 2020 submission!

Application Submitted Online: 27th June 2020
Documents Received: 21st July 2020 (confirmed last year over email)
Confirmation of Address: 18th October 2022
Application Approved:
Certificate Received:

Wording of confirmation of address email:

Your application for entry into the Foreign Births Register will be approved shortly and a Foreign Birth Registration Certificate and your original documents will be returned to you by registered post, which will require a signature on delivery.

To ensure these documents are dispatched to the correct address you should confirm your address by return email.

If you have moved address since you completed your application you should provide a scanned copy of proof of that new address e.g. original utility bills, bank statements, government correspondence.

**** Please note that a further email will issue to you when your FBR certificate has been printed and is ready for dispatch ****

Regards,

Update:
Application Submitted Online: 27th June 2020
Documents Received: 21st July 2020 (confirmed last year over email)
Confirmation of Address: 18th October 2022
Application Approved: 24th October 2022
Certificate Received:

Has been sent in the post, I’m in Switzerland so we’ll see how long it takes! Do we normally get tracking info? Thanks!

[sstewart50]

Online Application: July 2020
Documents Received: August 20 2020
Confimation of Address: October 19 2022
Application Approved: October 24 2022

Question...I verified my address but I'll be out of town for more then a month. I don't want to have the certificate and documents sent back after 30 days because I will be out of town for more than a month. I've emailed both the confirmation of address email and the application approved email to ask they hold for 2 weeks sending the certificate and documents...has anyone else had this issue and is there anything else I can do to make sure the arrival of the certificate and documents times out with when I am back home. I wasn't expecting the confirmation of address until January based on how things were going and the approval happening so quickly after this was also a surprise. I'd like to avoid any delays in my receipt or complications of these being sent back because I am not home to receive. Any help would be appreciated.

[Tourin31]

Wow guys, this is so exciting, I can't believe we are seeing September 2020 applications! This time last month, March 2020 was still trickling through...

I'm a June 2021 application, so now I am quietly hopeful that it could be a January 2023 approval. And actually if the Google Sheet is representative of application volume, maybe even earlier. I really feel for all the late 2019 - early 2020 applications who had no idea that the wait would be this long.

My dates as follows:
Application submitted online: 29 Apr 2021
Docs received mail: mid June 2021
Request to confirm address:
Confirmation of entry to FBR:
Certificate received:

[Apple10]

Wow guys, this is so exciting, I can't believe we are seeing September 2020 applications! This time last month, March 2020 was still trickling through...

I'm a June 2021 application, so now I am quietly hopeful that it could be a January 2023 approval. And actually if the Google Sheet is representative of application volume, maybe even earlier. I really feel for all the late 2019 - early 2020 applications who had no idea that the wait would be this long.

My dates as follows:
Application submitted online: 29 Apr 2021
Docs received mail: mid June 2021
Request to confirm address:
Confirmation of entry to FBR:
Certificate received:

I like your optimism And very much hope you are right. My dates were:

Application submitted: 7th July 2021
Application registered: 25th Nov 2021
Docs submitted: 13th Dec 2021

So it makes me wonder that even though you submitted everything in July did your application only get registered in Nov like mine did as the office was closed then? The office only reopened on 15th Nov so if its taken 10 days to register Jan - July applications then I'm guessing there can't have been many in that period which hopefully supports your theory!

[Seymour1]

All,
Firstly, thanks for any counsel.
1. applied 12th October 2020
2. Docs sent same day- no email confirming receipt received
3. conscious that my date approaching as appears as Sept 2020 applications now receiving contact .
4. on website- (official FBR) - says that contact made according to date that docs received, not application received!!!!- What if Docs lost or in pile that never looked at!!!
5. I called phone line, picked up and a soothing conversation whereby I was told kindly that "not to worry, I'm sure ok" - but no method of checking or palpable reassurance.

Any thoughts or ideas as how to seek reassurance that Docs received? Have copies of all, but unsure if need o chase or hold my nerve for another month, or till forum reveals that October 20 applications completed?
Any help appreciated
Thanks